Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has called on the international community, particularly the Global North, to recognise Africa’s crucial role in the world’s energy landscape. 

He urged them to unlock investment opportunities to foster the continent’s development.

Speaking at the Ministerial Session of the 9th OPEC International Seminar in Vienna, Senator Lokpobiri addressed the theme, “Oil Markets: Energy Security, Growth and Prosperity.”

He underscored that for Africa to significantly contribute to global energy security, it must receive the same level of investment empowerment as other regions.

In a statement by Nneamaka Okafor, Special Adviser on Media and Communication to the Minister, Lokpobiri emphasized, “For Africa to truly be part of the global energy journey, there is an urgent need to allow and encourage investments into the continent.”

He further stressed the paradox of excluding Africa from energy solutions while it remains disproportionately affected by energy challenges.

The Minister also highlighted the bold reforms initiated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration in Nigeria.

These reforms, he noted, have successfully repositioned the country’s energy sector, creating a more stable, transparent, and investment-friendly environment for potential partners.

“President Tinubu’s administration has undertaken significant legal and regulatory reforms that now offer a strong foundation for energy sector investment,” he stated.

Sen. Lokpobiri noted that Nigeria holds enormous capacity in the oil and gas sector, particularly in refining. However, he stressed that increased investment is needed across the upstream, midstream, and downstream value chains to unlock full potential.

“We need more investments, especially in the upstream sector, but also across the midstream and downstream segments. Our capacity not only serves domestic needs but also supports the wider West African region, which depends heavily on Nigeria,” he said.

He urged the Global North to support Africa’s development and integrate the continent into the broader global energy transition. “Africa must be seen as part of the world. We need to develop to contribute meaningfully to the global energy shift, and that can only happen if investors are allowed and encouraged to enter the African energy space,” he concluded.

The Minister’s remarks were met with wide acknowledgment as he reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness to lead regional collaboration and investment-friendly growth in the energy sector.